Paper dispenser



June 28, 1966 w. D. WREN 3,258,216

PAPER DISPENSER Filed Feb. 26. 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

June 28, 1966 w. D. WREN 3,258,216

PAPER DISPENSER Filed Feb. 26, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY v. a4 L Ej- 7 A ien/gym.

United States Patent 3,258,216 PAPER DISPENSER Winfred D. Wren, General Mold Engineering Co., 1034 S. Kealing Ave., Indianapolis, Ind. Filed Feb. 26, 1964, Ser. No. 347,421 4 Claims. (Cl. 24255.53)

' This invention relates to a paper dispenser, and more particularly to a device for dispensing a spool of paper.

It is an object of the invention to prov1de a paper dispenser of attractice appearance which will protect the paper to be dispensed from becoming soiled, which will dispense the desired quantity of paper, which can easily be refilled, and which will prove sturdy and durable in use.

In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, there is provided a housing adapted to hold a spool of paper. The housing has openings formed in its bottom wall and one of its side walls with a panel removably mounted on said housing to close the opening in said side wall. Said panel has means for releasably locking it on the housing.

A spindle is rotatably carried in aligned openings formed in the panel and housing for supporting the spool of paper within the housing in alignment with the opening in the housing bottom wall. Conveniently, means are formed on the spindle for locating the spool in a fixed position thereon. One end of the spindle projects outwardly through said opening on the panel and is fixedly connected to a control knob so that rotation of said control knob will cause the paper to be dispensed from the spool outwardly through the opening in the housing bottom wall.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paper dispenser embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

As shown in the drawings, the paper dispenser is provided with a housing comprising a back wall connected at its upper and lower ends to top and bottom walls 12 and 14 which converge toward each other from their interconnection to the back wall and are interconnected at their front edges by an arcuate front wall 16. A pair of side walls 17 and 18 are connected to the lateral edges of the back, top, bottom and front walls. An enlarged transversely extending opening 20 is formed in the bottom wall 14 for the discharge of paper from the housing, and the back wall 10 is conveniently provided with a pair of openings 22 for mounting the dispenser on a wall or the like.

As shown, the side wall 18 has an enlarged circular opening 24 whch is closed by a panel 26. Said panel has a plurality of circumferentially spaced fingers 28 adapted to be snap-fit over the edges of the openings 24 for thus releasably locking the panel 26 on the housing. A circular recess 30 is also formed in the panel 26 at the center thereof and terminates in an inwardly extending hollow sleeve 32.

Extending transversely across the housing is a spindle 34 journaled in the sleeve 32 adjacent one of its ends and in an opening 36 formed in the side wall 17 adjacent its opposite end. Conveniently, the spindle 34 has a pair of expanded collars 38 and 40 rotatably carried against the inner faces of the side wall 17 and sleeve 32, respectively, for axially locating said spindle within the housing. The spindle projects outwardly through the sleeve 32 and is fixedly connected to the hub 42 of a control knob 44. As shown, the knob 44 has a circumferentially extending skirt 46 disposed in proximate relationship with side of the recess 30.

A plurality of radiating fins 48 are formed on the spindle 34 intermediate the collars 38 and 40. Said fins are adapted to bindingly engage the spool 50 of a roll of paper 52 carried within the housing. The ends of the ribs adjacent the collar 38 are tapered, as at 53, to facilitate their insertion in the spool 50. The opposite ends of the fins have radially projecting extensions 54 engageable with the adjacent end face of the spool 50 for thus axially locating said spool on the spindle in alignment with the opening 20.

Thus, with the paper 52 located on the spindle 34 as shown in FIG. 4, it is only necessary to rotate the knob 44 to cause the spindle 34 and paper 52 to rotate in a like direction for dispensing said paper through the opening 20 in the housing bottom wall. The forward transverse edge of the opening 20 can thereby serve as a tear edge for separating the desired quantity of paper from the remaining portion of the spool.

In order to place a new spool of paper on the spindle 34, it is merely necessary to remove the panel 26 from the housing. This can be accomplished by pressing the end of the spindle 34 remote from the knob 44 to the right as viewed in FIG. 4 or by pulling the knob 44 to the right as viewed in FIG. 4, thereby causing the fingers 28 to be disengaged from the edges of the opening 24 for removing the panel 26 and spindle 34 from the housing. After such removal, the expended spool 50 can be removed from the spindle 34 and a new spool of paper inserted thereon. The panel and spindle, together with the fresh spool of paper, are then reinserted into the housing by inserting the spindle into the opening 36 and then forcing the panel 26 to the left as viewed in FIG. 4 to cause the fingers 28 to snap-lock over the edges of the opening 24 I claim:

1. A paper dispenser, comprising a housing having openings formed in its bottom and one of its side walls, a panel removably mounted on said housing for closing the opening in said side wall, means on said panel for releasably locking said panel on the housing, a spindle rotatab'ly carried in aligned openings in said panel and in another side wall of said housing for supporting a spool of paper in said housing, one end of said spindle projecting outwardly through the opening in said panel and being fixedly connected to a control knob, and means on said spindle operative with said panel and said another side wall for axially locating said spindle in the housing.

2. A paper dispenser, comprising a housing having openings formed in its bottom and one of its side walls, a panel removably mounted on said housing for closing the opening in the said side wall, means on said panel for releasably locking said panel on the housing, a spindle rotatably carried in aligned openings in said panel and another side wall of said housing for supporting a spool of paper in said housing, one end of said spindle projecting outwardly through the opening in said panel and being fixedly connected to a control knob, means on said spindle for axially locating said spindle in the housing, said panel having a circular recess formed therein around the opening therein, and said control knob having a circumferentially extending skirt disposed within said recess in proximate relation to the circumference of said recess and projecting axially therebeyond.

3. A paper dispenser, comprising a housing having openings formed in its bottom and one of its side walls, a

panel removably mounted on said housing for closing the opening in the said side wall, means on said panel for releasa-bly locking said panel on the housing, a spindle rotatably carried in aligned openings in said panel and another side wall of said housing for supporting a spool of paper in said housing, one end of said spindle projecting outwardly through the opening in said panel and being fixedly connected to a control knob, means on said spindle for axially locating said spindle in the housing, said means on said spindle comprising a pair of collars on said spindle rotatably carried against said panel and the inner face of said another side wall.

4. A paper dispenser, comprising a housing having openings formed in its bottom and one of its side walls, a panel rernovably mounted on said housing for closing the opening in said side Wall, means on said panel for releasably locking said panel on the housing, a spindle rotatably carried in aligned openings in another side wall of said housing and panel, a plurality of fins radiating outwardly from the end of said spindle for supporting a spool of paper thereon, said fins tapering outwardly from said References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,097,385 5/1914 Barns 20652 1,151,887 8/1915 Lie'beck 2A2+-55.53 1,297,110 3/1919 Davis 24255.53 1,704,614 3/1929 Johnston 24255.53 2,565,994 8/ 1951 Sevenich 242-55 .53

FOREIGN PATENTS 153,645 10/ 1953 Australia.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

G. F. MAUTZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PAPER DISPENSER, COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING OPENINGS FORMED IN ITS BOTTOM AND ONE OF ITS SIDE WALLS, A PANEL REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING FOR CLOSING THE OPENING IN SAID SIDE WALL, MEANS ON SAID PANEL FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID PANEL ON THE HOUSING, A SPINDLE ROTATABLY CARRIED IN ALIGNED OPENINGS IN SAID PANEL AND IN ANOTHER SIDE WALL OF SAID HOUSING FOR SUPPORTING A SPOOL OF PAPER IN SAID HOUSING, ONE END OF SAID SPINDLE PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THROUGH THE OPENING IN SAID PANEL AND BEING FIXEDLY CONNECTED TO A CONTROL KNOB, AND MEANS ON SAID SPINDLE OPERATIVE WITH SAID PANEL AND SAID ANOTHER SIDE WALL FOR AXIALLY LOCATING SAID SPINDLE IN THE HOUSING. 